Trouble In Paradise: We Need a New Ship!
"Zarqa watch out!" Sayyid screamed from within his cabin, his voice carrying through the windows. He watched as his second in command jump, accidentally stumbling over a rail and falling through their rocking ship. "Someone get her!" Minutes later, Zarqa emerged slightly scratched up in covered in light bruises. The commander sighed. "I'm glad you're okay." "Thank you captain." Zarqa asked while rubbing her tender elbows. "Where's the next stop?" That's right, they'd only gone through one island. This would be there second hub in the Revolutionary Army. However, Sayyid smiled as he knew this stop had a more important purpose in building the foundation of their dream. "We need a new ship." Sayyid said. "This one will only draw attention. While we were at the last island, I managed to pick a couple more sailers who want to head to Naki Kingdom with us." "I noticed our quarters were stuffier. Took me forever to take a shower." Zarqa twisted her face beneath the mask. "But I doubt we have enough money for a new ship." "Of course not!" Sayyid laughed. "But we're not paying for this one. We're going to take a Marine ship. It'll also give us sufficient cover the closer we get to the New World." "A MARINE SHIP?!" Zarqa questioned thunderously! "What-I mean how!?" "Easy." Sayyid pulled out his revolutionary log. "The next stop in the Revolutionary Network is next to a Marine Base. Headed by a captain. I'm sure there are plenty of ships at the port. We distract them, our men seize our escape and we join them after! It's the perfect plan." "You really make things so sound easy. We don't know anything about this place." She argued. "Well we don't, But I'm sure someone at the Inn does." The building was quite humble when compared to the other shops. A large building of quality wood and of an impressive design. Sayyid remembered the former inn where he apprenticed during his childhood. Memories which brought a smile to his face. "Why're you so happy?" Zarqa whispered as they stood at the entrance. "Back in Loguetown, I used to apprentice under an Innkeeper. I loved it. You meet so many people from across the world." The young commander spoke gently. "When it comes time to hang up the sails, I hope spend the golden years of my life running one myself." "Really? Will it be called the Good Fortune Inn?!" She teased. "Ha-ha. Very funny!" Sayyid chuckled. He lead his partner inside and towards the desk. "Hey, I'd like to rent a room for my associate and I." "Sure, what view would you like?" "I would love a view of the future." Sayyid whispered. The older gentleman smiled and nodded. He pressed a button and pointed towards the hallway. Both the commander and his loyal partner entered, walking down several flights of stairs and into a gambling pit. Warriors and sailers sat among one another, drinking together and sharing their sea shanties. Although gambling had a negative view among civilians, Revolutionaries enjoyed it as it allowed for bets which did not threaten their lives. "We're here to gather some information." Iron and Crackers On the island of Checroft, a Marine base was stationed at its center. This was G-69, a smaller base among , but it was nonetheless a Marine station. Within the office-like building were numerous Marines performing paperwork, ensuring imprisoned Pirates were being kept in their cells, and various other logistical tasks that made up a Marine's day-to-day routine. One of those Marines was dressed in a long white top and large skirt, appearing almost regal, and was sitting at the central office of the building. Going through her daily paperwork, a younger Marine officer came up to her desk. "Captain Lambert, we have received a report about the potential of a dangerous threat on his way to Checroft!" Captain Lambert Cecilia was a new and rising name among the Marines. She was renown among early Paradise for her tactical acumen in the Reverse Mountain Operation, and the Blue Heart Ribbon on her blouse signified this. "A dangerous threat? I need a report." Cecilia said with some urgency, as she put down her papers. Any manner of threat was a big deal for Cecilia, as her number one priority was to ensure that the common man's daily life was not compromised. "Yes ma'am! The threat has been identified by the name Hurra Al Sayyid! He seems to be a from what his beliefs say, and he was on a nearby island not too long ago. It is possible this is his next destination. Considering that the town's highest quality cheese goes to the as a form of tax...it is possible he might interfere with that supply, ma'am." "...This isn't good. As it is, we're trying our best to accommodate the citizens to make sure they can safely reach the tax demand and still have supply for exporting. If a Revolutionary cuts that supply to the Celestial Dragons, the citizens will suffer in every way imaginable..." Cecilia stood up, slamming her hand on the door. "Get to the scouts immediately. We need to make sure every corner of this town is scanned. But be discreet, we have no need to alarm the townsfolk." Cecilia walked out of the Marine base, "I am heading towards Brie Factory. I need to make sure the workers know about this and evacuate appropriately." Cecilia went out immediately, rushing towards the factory, "The time to give taxes to the Celestial Dragons is also nearing...this is the absolute worst situation. I can't...I can't let him succeed!" A shadow followed Cecilia as she walked through the streets. Sayyid gracefully skipped from building to building, assuring that she would see nothing and hear naught but the wind passing gently over the buildings as everyone slept. He danced through wiring and hung from obscure places. In the corner of his eye, a woman surfacing from the ground and diving below once more as if the earth was liquid. Brie Factory? Sayyid thought. He knew that place...The people from the previous islands said this place was famous for its cheese. But why would a marine head here? He asked. The young revolutionary continued forward. We'll follow her. We need the logs and schedules locked up in her office. Zarqa will retrieve them and we'll meet you on our new ship. Sayyid remembered telling her. His train of thought broken for a split second as he wondered how she was doing. Cecilia was slowly approaching the factory. However, as she was doing so, she was stopped by onlookers who were her fans. Two young girls in school, who had drawn pictures of Cecilia wielding her weapons. "Captain Lambert! Hello, my name is Rosy!! I'm a big fan, could you sign my drawing?" One of the young girls asked eagerly and innocently. "Me too Captain Lambert! My name is Honey! I also have a drawing! Please sign it!" The other girl eagerly mentioned as well. "I don't have time for this, but...if I panic now, they might get flustered." She stopped on her path, and welcomed both of the girls with a warm smile. It was encouraging to her, that the actions she took as a Marine inspired other girls to be strong. That was all that mattered. They didn't need to know the truth behind Cecilia's circumstances, nor should they. For a moment, her expression went grim. The two girls looked at her with an expression of concern, "Are you okay?" They asked, and Cecilia quickly snapped out of her thoughts. She shouldn't be concerned with trivial things like this. "Ah, I'm fine, thank you for asking." Cecilia responded happily. She took Rosy's picture, and saw that it was Cecilia wielding a spear. "What a nice drawing, Rosy!" Cecilia said happily, as she signed her picture. "O-oh...Thank you Captain Lambert! I love when you wield the spear! It's so beautiful, and strong! I want to be like that too..." Rosy said, her cheeks blushing with the same color as her namesake. "You can be like that too! Just keep working hard at school first, okay?" Cecilia mentioned with a smile, giving her the picture back. "Now let's see yours, Honey." Cecilia asked the other girl, as she gave her picture to Cecilia. It was a drawing of Cecilia wielding a large . "Wow, this is impressive too, Honey!" Cecilia's self-esteem rose as she spoke, signing the picture. "Thank you Captain Lambert! When you use the buster sword, I think that's so powerful and cool! I want to be like that too!" "As I told Rosy, you can be just like that too Honey! Keep working at it!" Cecilia told her eagerly, giving the picture back to the young girl. They were both ecstatic, and made their way home with their pictures in tow. Cecilia looked at them fondly for a moment, but remembered the dire situation that was looming. "I can't afford to waste much more time. Let's go." Cecilia told herself, dashing towards the factory once more. Sayyid's eyes lowered, his feet rising as if ready to launch himself forward. But the love and adoration felt by these girls felt genuine. A complete shock! But the young revolutionary experienced this before. The marines supply some business and then people blindly follow. Whether due to fear or not, these kids were just victims to the marines extensive manipulation. Force the kids to worship them and they'll have several generations of rule. The revolutionary leapt over several more buildings, keeping in stride with his prey. The earth moving below him as his second in command rose and fell. As Cecilia continued to move, her senses picked up on an oddity. There was a persistent sound that tried to match the rhythm of her own movements, but it failed to match it by just a single beat. Something was disturbing that person, and Cecilia could tell from a few more movements that someone was tailing her. Cecilia stopped on her path abruptly, hearing another step before the pursuer also stopped too. They were being vigilant. "...Is that the Revolutionary?" Cecilia thought to herself, fists clenching. She was in a public area. A conflict here would not be a good idea. However, there was one thing she had to test. If the Revolutionary was following her and stopped here, that must have meant he didn't know about the existence of Brie Factory and its importance. "...Let's see how this pans out." Cecilia thought to herself, shifting direction suddenly and moving towards an abandoned factory towards the edge of the town. Despite the distance she had dashed for the past fifteen minutes, this continued running did not faze her in the slightest. As she made her way inside the abandoned building, she called out. "Did you think you could follow me without being noticed?!" Cecilia exclaimed, taunting the pursuer to show their face. There was a peculiarity about this area, however. Despite its dim lighting, Cecilia seemed to know the place inside out. Not to mention, dozens of weapons, of varying types, were scattered across the large floor. Just what was this area..? Dammit! Sayyid thought. He wasn't the best at stealthy missions, choosing to let Zarqa trail targets and joining them after. Next time Zarqa, you're doing this by yourself. He jumped through the window and into the moonlight, his white hair glistening in its radiant glow. The ebony revolutionary started forward. "Probably not," Sayyid joked. "I'm not the best at tailing." In the corner of his eye, the young commander saw a purple haired woman emerged from a wall behind Cecilia before vanishing once more. "Hand over all of your keys and I'll be on my way." "My keys..?" Cecilia inquired, before realizing exactly what he was after. "Ah...so that's it." Cecilia took a sigh of relief at this fact. The Revolutionary, despite his title, didn't know exactly what was going on in this town. Now, Cecilia could fight without reservations. Cecilia stomped on the ground with her right foot, where the sound of metal clanked against the concrete floor, and a spear's tip rose up, surpassing her height. The Marine grabbed the spear with her right hand, before moving into a stance. Both arms clenched tightly on the spear now, with its pointed end facing towards Sayyid after shifting her body so that only the right side was exposed. "You are the Revolutionary, Hurra Al Sayyid, yes? Then you are my enemy! Be prepared to make your final stand, or surrender now!" Sayyid smiled. How happy he was that she knew of him, for this was only his second or third island. The revolutionary scanned the weapon, noting the unique blade at the tip of the staff. Seastone. This was the first time someone stood against him with it. Excellent! Now he could practice the strategies he contemplated upon learning of this mysterious mineral. Force Multiplier - Footstep 2x appeared on his ankles. He leapt forward onto a single step (4x), suddenly appearing in front of Cecilia with a devilish grin. He dipped lower as if preparing to strike (8x). "...!?" Cecilia was shocked at the sheer speed of his movement. Within an instant, the distance between Cecilia and Sayyid had closed, making her weapon nearly useless. As he dipped lower, Cecilia thought of only a single move she could make. Pushing herself off the ground, she moved backwards to a safer distance. Upon landing, Cecilia pushed out her arm, attempting multiple thrusts aimed at the lowered Sayyid in a bit to make his movements more predictable. For now, he could only move backwards, or so Cecilia hoped. Sayyid smirked when Cecilia jumped off. He halted his movement and remained in the same position in order to control the value of the Dobu Multiplier. Instead, the young fighter from East Blue slipped and weaved through Cecilia's thrust with impressive fluidity - making sure to keep his feet grounded to the earth. A simple step could've sent him crashing into the roof or a nearby wall. His defensive maneuverability extended from his hip in a manner which resembled the famous boxers of Loguetown as he chose to evade by the length of his hair rather than defend. Force Multiplier - Punch Out 2x appeared on his wrist. After the third thrust, Sayyid avoided the following strike by launching himself over the Naginata wielding warrior (16x). The sudden burst of power released by his step sent him soaring over Cecilia as he landed quite a distance behind her. But should she turn away, the marine would witness Sayyid covering the area between them with one step, filled with an unforeseen explosive power which (32x) allowed him to slip pass the length of her lengthy weapon into his prime striking distance. Sayyid sent a straight right towards her face using the force from the previous leap combined with the doubling power of his enigmatic fruit. Overall increasing a regularly impressive strike into a deadly punch capable of completely demolishing stone (4x). "...Again!?" Before Cecilia had even processed her thoughts, Sayyid had already reached a fair distance behind her. Just what was fueling this enormous speed?! Cecilia imagined it was a Devil Fruit of some kind, but thinking of any mechanism with him darting around at such speed was impossible. "...Shit." Cecilia, in the middle of her thoughts, had only just processed that Sayyid had reached in front of her, bypassing the range of her weapon. Holding up her arms to cover her chest, Sayyid's grand physical strength, bolstered by his enormous momentum, crashed into Cecilia at full force. The convulsive force caused her very body to be shaken up, but she managed to avoid any permanent injuries through the steel-woven attire she wore. However, this would not stop Cecilia's body from flying backwards to the wall behind her. As her frame was pushed off the ground, Cecilia herself desperately attempted to regain her bracings. Before the Armored Maiden touched the wall, she used all of her strength to use the rear end of her spear as an anchor for her movement. By smashing it into the wall, she managed to reorient her body, turning so that her feet were planted onto the wall. There was a fair distance between herself and Sayyid now, but Cecilia's strength was not to be underestimated either. "Haaah!" Cecilia shouted aloud, pushing off the wall with incredible force, creating a concave dent as she did so. While her body was in the air, she raised her spear with her arm, and pointed it directly at Sayyid's body. Currently, her spear's tip was directly aligned with the position of Sayyid's chest. Even if the strike missed, it did not matter, as long as she could catch the man's reflexes off-guard. After all, not even the greatest of speed masters can avoid an attack they do not expect. That punch should've knocked her out of commission. Sayyid thought. His analysis was interrupted by the sudden return of Cecilia whose sudden burst in speed caught him off guard. And thus, he paid for this underestimation as he attempted to sidestep the strike (4x) but found the spear slicing against his chest. He's been cut before...but nothing felt more painful than her particular weapon. It was as if the sea itself entered his body and filled him with the agonizing burning sensation of salt. Although a pain which came and went, it still through him off his game and thus ruined his chance for a sufficient counter. He took another step (6x) for distance. "The fact you survived that punch says a lot about you." Sayyid teased. "If only you weren't so blinded by your corrupted marine ideology. Your charisma and power would make you a legendary Revolutionary." "A slash!" Cecilia marveled. The fact that she managed to injure him meant that she could still turn this around. This time, using the pointed end of her spear, now with blood dripped over it, she slammed it on the ground, using it as an anchor to stop her aerial movement and gain her bracings on the ground. He wasn't attacking her. "Honor..?" Cecilia thought to herself, but that didn't matter right now. At this moment, he was attacking her pride as a Marine. This was something Cecilia could not ignore. She touched the spear, touched her head with the same hand, and performed a prayer with a single hand, as she dropped the spear to the ground. Next to her, she could feel another weapon. Stomping her foot against the ground, she picked it up from its raised hilt. It was a large that reached about half of her body's height, possessing a broad width and a very sharp greenish blue edge. She faced the weapon proudly towards the Revolutionary, but did not move to attack. "Corrupted Marine ideology?!" Cecilia exclaimed in defiance, "Just what do you know about me to make that claim, Revolutionary!? Do not dare sully on my ideals!" Looking at her from a glance, one would think the punch she took was without injury. However, on the interior, several injuries caused her stance to loosen, and made her wince at intense action. But she couldn't back down. Not after this Revolutionary dared to insult her ideals. "Just what have Revolutionaries accomplished in this world with their extreme ideals? Have they managed to change the corrupt world, where Celestial Dragons extort the common folk? Have they provided the equality they dream of!? No, of course they haven't! Your ideals are committed with baseless violence! A Marine does not swing their sword out of hatred for the world, they swing it with the intention of saving it!" "Saving it by serving the very corrupt Celestial Dragons you speak of." Sayyid repeated. "Ironic. But if a Celestial Dragon told you to eradicate this island, your pride as a marine would make you do so without a moment's hesitation. If they turned all the women into slaves, you'd hold onto the keys." He sighed. "The Revolutionaries have only faced failure where the Marines have interfered. And the marines have only interfered where we have protected the innocent from the extortion of the World Government. We are an army of the people and for the people. But your honor as a Marine would never allow you to understand this." That sword looks deadly. Sayyid pondered. But she can't be proficient in both swordplay and spear usage. I'll have to draw it out of her. Sayyid exploded forward with a monstrous skip (8x), the thundering crack of stone beneath his feet echoing outwardly. He landed on his left foot and dipped forward. However, he quickly rolled to Cecilia's outer flank for hook to her hip in hopes of causing more internal damage (x8). "Army of the people...don't make me laugh." Cecilia thought to herself, refusing to respond to Sayyid's outburst. Instead she focused on Sayyid's movements. She knew that she couldn't keep up with this man's sporadic speed. But found that he had slowed down compared to what he was while using her spear, "Is this ability working in exponentials?" Cecilia questioned herself, but realized she didn't have the time to. As opposed to striking from the front, he rolled downwards and attempted to strike her hip. Not if Cecilia could do something about it. Before Sayyid could strike her, Cecilia attempted to push away his strike with the butt of her sword. However, her depleted strength didn't allow her to reach the strike in time. While the butt of her sword collided with the fist, it was pushed back by the force of the blow, causing Cecilia to skid backwards due to the recoil, while the hilt of her sword began to crack. "What tremendous strength..." Cecilia didn't know how to respond to this situation. But before her weapon completely broke off, she attempted to take the initiative. Dashing forward once more, she performed a strike from below that would attempt to cleanly cut through the Revolutionary's exposed left shoulder in hopes of disabling one of his limbs. Sayyid took a step back in hopes of evading the strike but ended up flinging himself into the wall behind him (x32). It was a reckless mistake which lead to him sitting in a person sized crater of the wall, rubbing his temples in pain. But that cut from earlier was starting to actually hurt. He quickly performed a reset before looking up at Cecilia Fuck! He cursed himself.. The ceiling above the two fighters appeared to shift as if something swam through it. As quick as it became liquid, it returned back to solid. However, the darkness of the room hid the minute alterations as the twisting ceiling approached Sayyid. "An opening...!" Cecilia marveled. With the stamina that she had remaining, she gathered all of her strength into a single, final blow. She dashed forward at remarkable speeds, with every step rumbling the ground beneath her. "Haaaahhh!" The Marine Captain cried, as she swung her sword vertically downwards. The intent was to create a deep gash from the Revolutionary's right shoulder down to his waist, in the hopes of crippling him entirely and winning the battle. Of course, with her now waning strength, Cecilia wondered if she could even do just that..? Sayyid eyes opened. He attempted to move but that last mishap took all the air out of his lungs. He would've had to rely on one hell of a counter strike. If not for the purple haired blur which shot from the wall above him, without a trace of her existence within. She moved like a lightning strike, her daggers aimed into Cecilia's stomach. She used the opening created when the warrior raised her weapon to dash from the wall with thunderous force. Her eyes hidden behind the darkness of the white mask. "Zarqa." Sayyid whispered. He smiled, resetting his counters before approaching the two. "Don't kill her but make it hurt!" He ordered. The assassin dug her blades deeper and tore outwardly in hopes of ensuring that the crimson liquid on her daggers entered Cecilia's body. Cecilia had inched closer, ever closer. Her strike was near its target. But she was an inch too slow. Or perhaps this was inevitable. A stinging sensation made its way in her stomach, causing Cecilia to wince in pain. Those same daggers tore into her body. "...Aaaaaah!!!" Cecilia screamed outwards, and looked onto the assassin that dared to use these tactics against her. "T-this is...not...over...!!" Last brave words, but Cecilia could not keep that promise. Her body fell backwards to the ground, dropping her sword, and soon afterwards, she fell unconscious. Was it from the pain, or was it from something else...she could not tell. "Thank you Zarqa." Sayyid offered. He stood up and approached the unconscious marine. His eyes scanned for where he saw her placed them before, stopping at the small space on her hip. "Here are the keys. Steal everything you can from her office and return." "You aren't coming?" Zarqa said as she began sinking into the earth. "Discretion is absolute in this mission. You're the best at that. I'm going to take our friend to our new ship. She's instrumental in ensuring our escape." Charlie and The Cheese Factory Sayyid tied Cecilia to the center mass on their new ship. While the two were busy dealing with the captain, the other members of the Drawn Sword had managed to successfully steal this ship from its port and sail it towards the eastern shore. And with the captain suddenly missing, the marines were too busy to notice that their small marine ship had become a tool for revolutionary adventure. All according to plan. Sayyied kneeled before Cecilia, awaiting for her to awaken. "I don't understand why you don't just kill her." Zarqa asked. "It'd give us one hell of a bounty and show the marines not to mess with us." "Because," He smiled. "she's different from the rest. I think maybe she might want to join our cause." "Nnngh..." Cecilia winced, as she slowly woke up from her unconscious state. Looking around her, she was in a different location to where she was before. Staring in front of her, the figure of Hurra Al Sayyid was before her, kneeling, as if awaiting her. "R-Revolutionary...!" Cecilia attempted to embolden herself, but realized that she was unable to move in the slightest. Handcuffs were placed upon her being. Soon, she realized the situation she was in. "...Y-you're taking me hostage? Why!?" Cecilia flailed about as she said so. This was the absolute worst situation she could be in. With nobody to contact, she alone had to escape from this crisis. But, at this point...was it even possible? Luckily Sayyid had Cecilia patched up to the best of Zarqa's ability. She would need several days to heal, upon which she would serve as his prisoner. "Because I want to know more about you." His voice was investigative but warm. Without an ounce of desire to harm the captured marine. He stood up and yelled to his crew. "Come on, let's get ready to set sail!" But it was at that moment his eyes widened at the sight of the familiar insignia of an approaching ship. "The Celestial Dragon's ship...!?" Cecilia thought to herself, irritated. "Why now...why now of all times..?" Cecilia lamented aloud. There was nothing more to hide. Every part of the plan that she had made to prevent this collision from happening had been broken down. Now, everything would crumble. Her own reputation...but that did not matter to her. What truly mattered, were the people on this island. The loving people of Checroft that had worked so hard to ensure their livelihoods were met and the Celestial Dragons were satisfied...all of that had been completely and utterly demolished in the face of this Revolutionary. "I...I failed..." Cecilia grimaced, tears beginning to drip down her eyes. Sayyid already ordered his crew to leave the port. They would use the marine's flag to approach the ship under a friendly flag. "Why are the World Noble's merchants here?!" He screamed. "I thought they never went this far out in Paradise." "Checroft is known for their exquisite cheeses." Zarqa answered from atop. She had a large book in her hands as she spoke. "It says here that they send out their merchant ships all the way here for their cheeses. The towns people must survive off of the World Noble's support." "I see." Sayyid took a second and smiled. What Revolutionary would let the World Nobles operate so easily in these waters? They were able to sail from the Red Line to here probably through the use of the Calm Belt, a path only sailable by those affiliated with the Marines. Hence of course the lack of exterior protection. "Let's test out the weapons on our new ship." Sayyid joked. The Revolutionary's new ship approached the merchant ship with their cannons aimed. Of course the merchant ship failed to notice the hostile intent. A costly failure for seconds later they were met with a barrage of fire. The attack lasted nothing more than ten minutes as the ship was obliterated. His men firing every gun they could find. He watched as the World Noble insignia disappeared in a column of fire. "Those who serve the World Nobles support oppression. They are the slave traders, murderers and rapist of this world. The corrupted governments who laugh while the everyday man suffers. I will send them all to their grave." And with those words...it was done...The revolutionary ship sailing onwards to their next adventure. The cries of Cecilia's failures disappearing into the smoke...